Malignant Cells in a Peripheral Blood Smear

IN recent years considerable interest has been directed toward the observation of malignant cells in the peripheral blood exclusive of lymphoma and leukemia. Studies have been concerned primarily with technics for the recognition of these cells and their quantitative enumeration.1 2 3 4 5 6 Because of the difficulty in demonstrating these cells in routine blood examination, proposed methods have dealt primarily with ways of concentrating them. Reports of malignant cells in a routine blood smear have been extremely rare.1 , 7 Therefore, we consider the following case to be of unusual interest.Case ReportD.C (B.I.H. M107906), a 73-year-old married former printer, presented with a chief . . .